When the clock struck midnight on January 1, 1953, all seven members of the Tollison family were sound asleep.  Ringing in the New Year in their home on Ruth Street would be celebrated when they all woke up.  Helen always like to fix a big pot of black eyed peas on that day...it was a tradition she had carried on for several years.  According to folklore...Eating black eyed peas was supposed to bring riches to your family.   Along with the black eyed peas, she would fix a pan of cornbread, fried potatoes and pork backbone fixed in kraut.
They enjoyed their New Year's Day lunch chowing down on the "rough" stuff (that's what they called the main course food) then would have some peach cobbler.  The family was stuffed from the good food so all of them took a nap in the afternoon.  Helen has always said...what you do on the first day of the year would be what you would do the rest of the year.  Maybe this will mean that this year will be a more restful year.  One thing for sure...she wasn't pregnant this year which made for a more comfortable year for her! 

They would visit at Emmanuel Missionary Baptist Church in Sikeston this Sunday.  It was a church very similar to the one they have been members of for years in Kewanee.  Being a part of Kewanee Church was one of the things that they hated to leave behind when they moved.  They had so many church friends there, but realized they would make new ones here at the Sikeston church just like they did when they were in Jonesboro.   When they think of the Jonesboro Church, they remember their friends Brother and Sister Jewel with fondness (Brudder & Sister Shewel as Linda called them).  So they would go to the church in Sikeston this Sunday and make new friends which will in turn teach their kids to be comfortable in new places.  It was so important to Willie and Helen to have a church home where they could study and learn and be a part of what was going on.  They wanted their children to be exposed to the kind of love that can only be found in a church family.

Moving to a new town would also mean that Larry and Sissy would be starting a new school.  They would be starting at South Grade Elementary School tomorrow and weren't even nervous.  This would be the fourth school since they started four-five years ago.  Sondra was now in 4th grade and Larry was in 5th, so changing schools was "old hand" to them.  They just hoped that they had nice teachers and wouldn't be behind in any of the subjects.  The school was only a few blocks from their home on Ruth Street, so they would be walking to and from school everyday.

Willie walked his insurance route each day in his neighborhood trying to make enough money to take care of his family.  It wasn't a lot of money, so when the little grocery store owner, Mr Kinsey, around the corner from them offered to let them buy groceries on credit, they were so thankful.  They would be eating a lot of beans and cornbread, but that was okay...they all loved em
 


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    Paula Tollison Andrews Maupin
    I am married to Bobby and live in the Nashville, TN area, working as Executive Assistant to both the Director of Sales and General Manager of FOX17, MyTV30 & CW58 television
    _I have 3 wonderful sons and daughters in love (Brad & Holly Andrews, Bryan & Stacy Andrews and Brandon & Ashley Andrews) from Tulsa, St. Louis & Springfield respectively. They have given me 9 precious grandbabies.  (Joseph, Cooper, Margo, Sloan, Jonas, Nora, Everett, Lawson and Blythe & Gma loves them so much) I also have 2 great stepsons and daughter in love (Jonathan & Kathryn Maupin and William Maupin) from Lexington, Kentucky.

    As a lady who's lived through both good & bad circumstances in my life, I've learned and continue to learn a lot of "life lessons".  Along the way I have been inspired to be a better me.  God is faithful in ALL circumstances and His love covers all.   My hope is that you will be inspired to be who you were meant to be. 

    I have been writing this blog about my mom and dad since September of 2011.

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